1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to improvements to medical support devices and particularly to devices adapted to support the weight of a medical apparatus attached to a patient or to support a portion of the patient's body. More particularly, this invention relates to a support for counterbalancing a tracheotomy tube and thereby mitigating discomfort caused to a patient by of its weight or restrictiveness.
2. Description of Related Art
Medical patients in a weakened state from surgery, disease or other medical conditions often are sensitive to the weight of any medical apparatus necessarily attached to them as part of their treatment. The weight of tracheal interfaces, tubes from treatment equipment and the like, for example, can cause considerable discomfort to such patients, whereas healthy persons would not even notice the weight. Often left unsupported and lying across a bedridden patient's chest, the tube can slide off the bed or otherwise shift around and cause irritation at the patient's throat. If taped or clipped to the bed to prevent it from sliding off, the tube restricts the patient's movements dramatically. A need exists for a device which supports a tracheal interface tube without unnecessarily restricting a patient's movements and which mitigates discomfort of the tracheal interface caused by the weight of the tube.
Non-bedridden but nonetheless invalid patients may be able to sit up in a chair, eat on their own, watch television and move about their home or hospital room as long as their movements are not restricted by treatment equipment. Tracheotomy patients who achieve some degree of mobility as a rule find themselves tethered to treatment equipment. Discomfort from the weight and agitation from movement of tracheal interface tubes severely restrict even the simplest movements such as turning one's head, swallowing or talking. Relocation from one resting place to another requires moving the treatment equipment and consequently greater agitation and discomfort from the tubes. Even when beds are equipped with support devices, they usually cannot be removed and relocated conveniently to an upright chair, so the tube simply must be laid across the patient's shoulder or otherwise left vulnerable to falling. A need therefore exists for a trachea tube support device readily movable with an ambulatory patient.
Particularly weak patients, such as those with degenerative muscular conditions, find it difficult or impossible simply to lift their arms to feed themselves. The effort of lifting the weight of their arms combined with the effort of gripping a fork can be more than some can manage. Many times, such patients can grip utensils sufficiently to help themselves and can use them as long as a nurse or attendant helps by lifting the patient's arm. The morale boost from successfully negotiating even such simple tasks can be a significant factor in recovery. Yet, many patients cannot afford the luxury of, and others would not want, the constant attention of an attendant. A need exists therefore for a cost effective apparatus for supporting the weight of a patient's arm to assist in such activities.
Numerous support devices provide support for medical apparatus, but none offer the utility of the present invention. For example, Doyle, U.S. Pat. No. 4,591,121, provides a gantry attached to a bedstead to support multiple fluid containers for intravenous tubes above the patient's pillow. Doyle necessarily requires, however, that the patient be confined to the bed. Hawk, U.S. Pat. No. 4,727,872, provides another gantry suspended above a supine patient with an endotracheal device rigidly gripping the crossmember. Hawk offers no freedom of movement, either.